Of Insanity and Discovery
by Upload
Summary: What is the question? The question is, what would we find if we weren't told what to do? What if the pony who told us what to do turned against us? What if Blue Blood rules? What if the Mane Six are nowhere in sight? What if freedom was a thing to fear? Oops, that's more than one question...
1. Prologue:Everything Good Comes to an End

**The Pony of Discovery**

**Prologue **

To all whom this may concern, unicorn magic is a tricky and strange thing that is accomplished through the combination of intellect and emotion. Intellect so as to control the magic and emotion so as to give the magic its power. While one without the other is possible it almost never occurs. Alicorns are very emotional creatures, not to mention incredibly intelligent. This is why their magic is so strong.

A mother looked down at the newborn colt in her hooves. A beautiful creature with a deep brown coat and its mane the shade of honey, but the most striking of his features, however, was the deep gray eyes that seem to bore into your very being with their intelligent gaze. The mother began to tear up. Small droplets of sparkling salt water staining the young colt's mane. The officials in front of her were becoming impatient. They had come in accordance to the Unicorn Act of 1 AW, which clearly states that all unaccounted for unicorns must be taken to the Canterlot facilities for testing and labeling.

No one believes a word of it. All that anyone knew for sure was that when they take your foal, and you never see them again.

"Come on ma'am, give us the child." The lead female official said calmly but firmly. In a voice that was not to be denied.

"Just, just give me a few more minutes, please?" The mother asked pleadingly. Staring longingly at her new born colt, her light tears had turned into racking sobs by this point. A few of the officials standing near the back started to get uncomfortable, shifting their weight back and forth. The official in front was adamant though.

"ma'am, it's time that you give us the child." The female official stated, a hint of steel entering her voice. It was at this point something snapped in the mother. Her eyes stopped their gushing of water and she lifted her head to stare defiantly at the officials.

"You want him?" The mother said glaring daggers into the head official. "Come and get him then." This outburst of emotion had taken back most of the officials, but the head stood her ground. She even gave a smirk as she pulled out her gun with unicorn magic. Using precision unknown to all but the most skilled and trained fighters she shot a bullet directly into the center of the mother's forehead.

Or it would have if an orb of light blue magical energy hadn't stopped the bullet in midflight. "Well darling, it would seem you have to do better than that to finish an Element of Harmony." The white mare said a determined look in her eye as she pulled off the hat she had been wearing to reveal that she herself was a unicorn. "This child will _not _be harmed by you gun wielding brutes!" The life that had so recently been drained from this white unicorn was now ablaze with fury. All the officials that had been standing there had galloped off knowing that a mother would do _anything _to protect her young. Well, all except for the head official, oh no, she would not run. She had in fact sent another four bullets directly at the mare's head, only to have them stopped by the same blue magical field.

"You having fun _Element?_" The official spat disdainfully. As if the word itself was poisonous. The air around the two of them was so thick with hate and fury you could cut it with a knife. Each of the ponies waiting for the other to make the first move.

"Why, yes." Rarity said a slight grim smile on her lips. "Yes I am dear." With a flash of her horn the bullets changed direction and were shot repetitively, one after the other into the body of the official.

Running. That is all Rarity could think of, she had to get away. She _had_ to save him. Rarity darted out of her boutique and up the road of Ponyville. _Maybe Twilight can help me._ She hoped in desperation, as she headed for the library. _Yes Twilight always knows what to do._ She ran past Lyra, Bon Bon and Vinyl. Rarity didn't even glance in their direction. Not glancing back was her down fall however, as the official from the boutique used the last of her strength to shoot Rarity in the back.

Pain exploded from the lower area of Rarity's back as she stumbled forward and fell face first onto the street of Ponyville. Ponies sprinted to Rarity's side from all around, to see if she was alright. Pinkie was the first to see her crumpled writhing form, Pinkie's hair deflated in a rush of air. Applejack was next of the Mane 6 to arrive; she sped to Rarity's side shaking her, begging her to stay, a crowd slowly gathered. The mood was dark and sad as all the ponies gathered knew that it was a lost cause. Some of them were weeping and cursing the sky and the Empire, some were just too stunned to do anything. But Applejack wouldn't stop, couldn't stop yelling at Rarity to stay with her. To do it for the others, Twilight and Pinkie and Rainbow, and especially Fluttershy. And if not for them for then for her newborn colt. How did she expect him to live if she wasn't there for him? There was only one orphan in Ponyville at the time, a young filly named Scootaloo. Although the town loves her and helps her, she's still has extreme sadness bottled up inside at the loss of her parents. Applejack had seen what might become of a filly with no parents. She herself had watched her parents die at a young age, she never got over the sadness and she would not let that happen to someone again. Pinkie had also lost her parents not long after she received her cutie mark at the rock farm. Neither of them wanted this foal to feel that pain.

Rarity looked up at Applejack, looked her in the eye and said "Keep him safe, Applejack darling (cough) keep my dear Apt Discover safe."

"Ah promise." Applejack answered fresh tears running down her face. "Ah'll never let anythin' happen to him."

"Thank you, darling." Rarity said a small smile playing across her lips. With that small appreciative sentence, her eyes glazed over and her finale breath left her lifeless body.


	2. Chapter One:Skeletons in the Tree House

**The Pony of Discovery**

**Ch. 1**

"Ah ponyville, the place where it all started." I said softly, while gazing over the charred remains of my once peaceful village. It has been my goal for the past several years to find out about the Great Equestrian War. For, you see, I am an archaeologist. One of the very important ponies that work directly under emperor Blue Blood himself! My sole task in life was to find out what happened to this once calm and peaceful land.

I walked down the burned street glancing from side to side in the hopes of finding a landmark of some kind. I was not disappointed. There off to one side is a slightly crumbled, completely burned, abnormally large tree.

"Ah, there you are." I said under my breath. "The library." I trotted over to it and took a look inside, careful to step over the remnants of the door. Inside was a large room with things that might have been bookshelves at one time, and a gaping hole in the wall where you can almost make out the remains of a staircase. The thing that most stood out in this room however, was the skeleton of a unicorn, whose mouth was open in a silent scream.

As I take a closer look I see that under the corpse of this unfortunate unicorn, there is another body. This body was something that I had only seen in books. This sad dead creature had at one time, been a baby dragon. Inspecting the bodies further I saw that they had both died at nearly the same time. The unicorn almost seemed to be protectively embracing this dragon in their last moments. That being said it was then that I, being a unicorn myself, realized that there was very potent magic in this room. Without even having to probe the magic I knew that this was no ordinary spell. "Sweet mother of Celestia." I gasp, my eyes widening. "This is a protection spell. I've never felt something so powerful." That would explain how the unicorn had died. Protection spells of this magnitude might burn out the magical reservoir that dwells deep inside of the unicorn's soul.

The protection magic was so potent in the room that you could actually see it, in the light purple haze that lazily drifts though the air. But that wasn't all, there was something, different, something that I had never felt in magic before. I send out a probe of magic to find out what the last spell used here was. The result was surprising, so surprising that I back-petal fast enough to trip over my own hooves. This magic was made out of pure emotion. "My, my Miss Sparkle, you were quite busy before your death weren't you?" I say sadly, gazing around the room, searching for the object of this strange magic. Before I could locate it however, I heard an explosion, an explosion that would begin the end of my normal life.

The mighty roar if the blast was deafening in and of itself, but combined with the fact that the earth shook so hard I fell on my rump, this was utterly terrifying. Let me repeat I am an archeologist, I am in no way trained in what to do in the midst of a war. The bombing of Ponyville lasted for about ten more minutes, and then they just stopped as suddenly as they had started. What followed was almost worse in a sense though.

"Apt Discovery!" An all too familiar voice boomed over what was left of the great town of Ponyville. "Your crimes against Emperor Blue Blood must be paid for! Come out so that we may have a fair and public trial in Canterlot. If you do not show yourself we will continue the assault on Ponyville and make shore you perish here, buried under the smoldering ashes of this terrible disgusting ruins of a town!"

_Oh, crap… _I thought not knowing whether to role my eyes or duck for cover. _It had to be her didn't it. _

"I repeat, Apt Discovery reveal yourself or else be blown away." Trixie said a hint of smugness entering voice. "I will give you to the count ten."

_Dang it._

"Ten!"

_I should run._

"Nine!"

_Sorry Twilight Sparkle. _I think as I stare longingly around the room. Wishing that I had more time to explore.

"Eight!"

_I guess we might never know what your purpose for that magic was Ms. Sparkle._

"Seven!"

_Why her? _I think groaning inside.

"Six!"

_To go or not to go, that is quite a puzzling question isn't it?_

"Five!"

_Is it just me or does she sound happy about this?_

"Four!"

I started to walk toward the door when something caught my eye.

"Three!"

Just then a pulsing orb just off to the right of the door caught my attention.

"Two!"

I step in for a closer look. My inbred curiosity peeked.

"One!"

"Give the order." I heard her say, a bit too happily to her second in command.

"Waaaaaaaait!" I scream galloping at full force toward them. Now let me say something here I am not the most muscular, stamina filled colt in all Equestria. Not even close, it doesn't take much muscle to dig a little until you find something old buried in dirt. So after running all the way from the library to the edge of the Everfree Forest I was pretty beat. "Hold up" I pant. "I'm here (cough, cough) no need to (gasp) destroy this place." I was far too winded to notice the group of ponies that had recently aimed their guns directly at my pitiful head. I could only here one word between my gasps for breath.

"Fire"


	3. Chapter Two:The Cupcake Song

**The Pony of Discovery**

**Ch. 2**

"Fire."

My life flashed before my eyes in that instant. There was the Apple family, the wonderful ponies that had taken me in after my mom died, and there my old friends from Ponyville. Ah, and there was Pinkie Pie the best friend a pony could have. There was one picture that flitted through my mind as I was heading to my death that I didn't recognize though, the face of a white pony with beautiful purple curly hair. I didn't know at the time why this picture of such a wonderful smiling face, would have the effect to bring tears to my eyes. Anyway, in the moment it took for the ponies to pull the trigger, all my life had flashed by my mind's eye.

But nothing happened. I raised my head slowly to see why I wasn't dead yet, and to my surprise, all of the ponies had turned their attention away from me. Only to transfer it to a pony that had appeared on the out skirts of the Everfree forest. Something seemed almost… familiar about this pony. As if I knew this pony before.

I moved away from Ponyville as a young colt to go to archeology classes in Canterlot. (Yes there is such a thing as archeology classes.) So I didn't get to know all the ponies as well as I would have hoped. But… there was defiantly something familiar about her light purple mane and orange body that I couldn't quite place. I knew this pegasus from some were, I just had to remember were.

"Fire you ingrates! And this time, don't miss her!" Trixie shouted staring at this new pony with hatred that could only burn form years of pain and misery at this pony's hooves, Trixie reached up and rubbed the eye patch that covered her left eye. "Kill her!"

The group of ponies all aimed their weapons once more and fired. Only to miss again, it wasn't that hard to see why. There was a heat haze in that area that must have made them misjudge where exactly this pony was. Or that was what I though until I realized that the haze was only on top of the pony, not on the trees that were off to her right and left, but only on her. The ponies were starting hysterics when they saw the haze was only around pony as well. No longer was there any form to the ranks of ponies. Just all of them in a maddened state repetitively sending bullets one after the other down the field. Not one connected with its target. With the growing fear and insanity that devoured the minds of the ponies came a lack of judgment. The ponies left all safety precautions and some of the group got caught in friendly fire.

Chaos. A word that seemed to fit this insane field quite nicely I had no idea why these ponies were going insane… it just didn't make any sense! At least half of the team that was assembled to kill me had died, with the others in a state of pure madness. I glanced up to see if the pony that had started it all had… I don't know why I looked up, but I did. And I saw something that will haunt me for the rest of my life. This mare had grin on her face that went from ear to ear in a sickeningly unnatural smile. Then this orange mare started her song.

"All you have to do is take a cup of flower…"

Sharp blades extended from her blood red horseshoes, and she dived at her attackers. In moves that require the utmost in strength and agility, she leaped into the air, summersaulted and slashed open the back of a brown colt with a light yellow mane.

"add it to the mix."

He fell the ground screaming in pain as spurts of blood erupted from his back. But this mystery mare wasn't finished yet.

"Then take a little something sweet not sour."

As soon as her hooves hit the ground she sped with quickness that seemed impossible at a large group of ponies that were frantic now to kill her.

"a bit of salt, just a pinch."

Firing their weapons over and over again, they tried to hit this target. Even if they _were_ aiming they couldn't have done it.

"Making these teats is such a synch, add a teaspoon of vanilla."

The mare bucked the first pony sending a mare with a deep purple coat and pink mane crashing to the ground several yards away with a broken neck and shattered skull.

"Add a little more and you count to four, and you never get your fill ah…"

Even the group of ten against one, the group was finished in a matter of seconds.

"Cupcakes, so sweet and tasty cupcakes."

Within a span of time that seemed far too short, the field was empty of anything living except for this mystery mare and myself.

"Don't be too hasty cupcakes, cupcakes, cupcakes, Cupcakes!" Thus ended her song of pain and death. This mare came up to me bloodied knives raised to kill. But she stopped barely two inches from my face. The strange menacing smile gone from her face. She came in closer her nose and my touching. Her eyes grew wide in surprise and alarm.

"Twilight Sparkle!?" She screamed in confusion, "You died! In the blast! How are you here?! I saw you die in the library!" The look on her face changed rapidly from confusion, to despair, to over whelming happiness. This mare came in and hugged me so firmly that a small gasp escaped my lips from oxygen deprivation. "Oh Twilight, you don't know what it's like to live alone for years. I mean ever since Pinkie Pie died in that attack I've had no one to hug, and before she died Rainbow Dash went off to fight with Cloudsdale to fight the empire with the pegasus rebellion." This mare had started to sob on my shoulder by that point. "Ever since I left the Cutie Mark Crusaders, (sob) my life has been terrible." The mare's eye's came up to meet mine and I remembered were I had seen her before. This mare before me, was Scootaloo.

Note: This is a side project to another story I'm working on with two of my friends, I'll update as soon as possible but it just won't be too regular.


	4. Chapter Three: Deceit in Everfree

**The Pony of Discovery**

**Ch. 3**

If there was one pony that I looked up to more than Applejack, it was Scootaloo. This orange pegasus was a beacon of light in a world of fear and loathing. She showed me that even a pony like me, a pony with no parents, might survive in this horrid, hate filled world of Equestria. I was so lost in thought at the moment that I almost missed what Scootaloo said next.

"Pinkie knew you weren't dead." Scootaloo sighed glancing to my left.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Pinkie thought that Twilight was alive? Didn't she see the blast that destroyed Ponyville? It sounded crazy! But if there was one thing that I knew from my time with Pinkie Pie, it was that she knew things. Things that make no sense but happen to be true. This time however I have proof that she was wrong.

"What did you say twilight?" Scootaloo asked looking into my eyes, but seemed to not be looking at me but almost as if there was someone else in my place.

"I didn't say anyth-" I was answering when Scootaloo cut me off.

"Oh..." Scootaloo said her face falling. "Pinkie Pie died protecting me from the Empire. It happened about two years after the bombing of Ponyville..."

"Scootaloo!" Pinkie Pie shouted energetically. "It's time to get up!" Scootaloo groaned, trying to get back to the dream that she was having. A beautiful dream in which her mom and dad were still alive. They were having a Christmas dinner of roasted, cinnamon apples with brown sugar sprinkled oats. In the center of this great meal was a gigantic present, roughly the size of that Blue Box Ponyville used to have. This present was in a bright red wrapping, with golden ribbon, and a note that said:

_To Scootaloo,_

_The best daughter parents could hope for._

_Love Mom and Dad_

Scootaloo knew that inside of this was all her hopes and dreams that she had ever had. She was about to open this gift when Pinkie Pie woke her up, and made sure that she would never know what was inside that present.

"Get up sleepy head! You know that little ponies aren't supposed to sleep this late!" Pinkie happily shouted. Even after the destruction of her home town and most of the ponies living there died. Pinkie Pie was still a bundle of overactive energy.

"Pinkie, it's not even light out. Why are you waking me up?" Scootaloo responded, groggily rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"The early bird gets the worm silly, you know that." That being said, Pinkie got up and hopped out the door of Scootaloo's bedroom.

"Just for once I wish I didn't get the worm." Scootaloo said feeling sorry for herself. Every single day that she had been with Pinkie Pie living in the Everfree Forest, Pinkie had woken her up two hours before the sun rose. Excepting the fact that no one will ever understand Pinkie, and the fact she will never know what was in the gift. She sleepily rolled herself out of bed and glanced around her room. On the wall to the left of the bed was an ornate mirror with expertly carved leafy designs on the edges. And above the door was a picture of Scootaloo's parents hugging a newborn filly, how Pinkie had gotten this picture Scootaloo had no idea. When ever she had asked how Pinkie had gotten not only the fine things in her room, the picture included, but the things that were perfectly placed all around the cabin, Pinkie would just giggle and spout some nonsense about being able to find things.

Something hit Scootaloo just then. It was Christmas! No wonder her dream last night was about it. Scootaloo stopped looking around her room and dashed into the dining room. Right in the center of this perfectly decorated room was a table stacked full of delicacies, cinnamon roasted apples and brown sugar oats. Another of Pinkie Pie's powers: dream replication. Not only did she get the food right, but in the middle of the table was a large present, wrapped in bright red wrapping paper with a golden bow, and coming down the side of this great wrapped present was a tag that read:

T_o Scootaloo, _

_The best friend a pony could have._

_ Love Pinkie Pie._

Scootaloo was just about rip into this gift when pinkie came up next to her and jokingly scolded.

"Scootaloo, you know that you're not supposed to open presents until tonight."

"But Pinkie-" Scootaloo started to whine but pinkie cut her off.

"Nope, you know the rules silly, no presents until the night time." Although she said this in a cheery voice, Scootaloo knew all too well that slight steely edge in her voice that bid no argument. Realizing the futility of the matter Scootaloo turned her thoughts away from the wrapped gift before her and to the delicious food that was spread out before her; the oats were perfectly roasted and the sweetness exploded on her tongue. And the apples, oh the apples had that juiciness that could have only come from Sweet Apple Acers, which again made no sense considering that Sweet Apple Acers was burned to the ground not long after the bombing of Ponyville. Scootaloo glanced up at Pinkie Pie when she was finished eating. Pinkie Pie, also having finished her breakfast, was standing up to leave.

"Do you really have to go today?" Scootaloo pleaded. Every day for the two years Scootaloo had been there Pinkie Pie had left to go deeper into the Everfree Forest.

"Uh huh." Pinkie answered, her face falling slightly.

"But it's Christmas!" Scootaloo argued. "Who could be so important to meet that it can't wait one more day!?" Scootaloo had started shouting now. Pinkie Pie was in charge of the largest black market at the time, supplying the rebellion with things from weapons to water closets (Yes I said water closets, don't question Pinkie Pie!).

"Scootaloo if it was anypony else I could just go and tell them 'Sorry I can't work today because I'm going to have a supperdy dupper, funnerific day with my best friend' but I can't do that today because… because today it's a friend I haven't seen in a really long time." Pinkie's face grew long at the thought of leaving Scootaloo, but her mind was made up, she would go.

"Then at least let me go with you this time." Scootaloo said her voice quavering at the realization that it was futile trying to convince her to stay.

"Not this time." Pinkie answered, a rare sad tone entering her voice. "This time I want you to get a party ready for tonight; (giggle) that present is going to be an ultraly huge surprise." With that pinkie got up and hopped out the door with a big, fake, smile on her lips, thus leaving Scootaloo all alone in the cabin.

Scootaloo looked around at the now empty cabin, hating Pinkie pie for leaving her. _It's was Christmas. How could she leave me here on Christmas! _Scootaloo thought. Her gaze coming to rest on a pair of snow shoes, a small grin crossed her face as she knew what she was going to do. She was going to find out who this pony was that was so special that she could pull Pinkie Pie away from her on Christmas.

Gathering up all the tracking equipment needed Scootaloo set out determined to find were Pinkie Pie had gone. (Now let me tell you something tracking Pinkie Pie was not as easy as one would think.) It started off easy for Scootaloo to follow the mild bouncing that was Pinkie's preferred way of travel, notice the word 'started', because after a while of following the bouncing, the track started to get a little hectic. No longer was the path a bouncing trail that was easy to follow, oh no, this path started to run through rabbit holes and under bird nests, over lakes and through trees. Yes, her path was a little hectic.

After about an hour of this random trail she found herself coming toward a perfectly round clearing. The exact center of the Everfree Forest.

Scootaloo was about to run out into this clearing and demand to know who Pinkie Pie was waiting for, but before she could, a light orange pony came out of the other side of the Everfree Forest. Scootaloo gasped as she realized that the orange mare was none other than Apple Blooms older sister Applejack.

"Hi Applejack!" Pinkie Pie shouted, fake happiness emanating off her like a picture of a flame, but she still faked it well enough to make Applejack believe otherwise. Applejack on the other hoof, was in no way as good as Pinkie Pie in hiding her feelings. Scootaloo could see that even though Applejack had a smile on her face, it was forced, not to mention she was shaking like a leaf.

"Howdy Pinkie Pie, you got the information ah ordered? "

"Yep, Macintosh and Apple Bloom and doing fantasticaly good in Canterlot!" Pinkie exclaimed true happiness in her voice once again. "Macintosh is still the unquestioned leader of the rebellion up there . Oh and Applebloom got her cutie mark!"

"Really!?" This outburst had taken Applejack by surprise. "What is it?"

"It's a big sparkly torch!" Pinkie responded joyfully

"A torch?" Applejack asked skeptically. "Why'd it be a torch? What's her special talent? Fire startin'?"

"Truth! You know how she was always absolutely wonderfully good with her Imagination and creativity? Well now she's the number one interrogator pony who can get anypony to not only talk but to tell the truth!" Applejack was utterly horrified by the prospect.

"You saying that Applebloom is now torturing ponies for information!?" Applejack shouted, hating the thought.

"Oh no Applejack. Applebloom has found out that if she uses the kung fu of hers, she can hit different nerves and pressers points to shut off blood to all lying sections of the pony brain." Pinkie explained trying to calm down Applejack.

"Wow for a second there ah thought that Applebloom was hurting ponies and ah just couldn't stand that thought." Applejack slumped staring at the ground in defeat. With a deep breath in Applejack asked. "Trixie, are you ready yet?"

As Scootaloo watched, Trixie walked out into the open, her official Empire uniform blending into the surrounding foliage. "I was ready a longtime ago, but this was such a beautiful reunion I just couldn't break it up." Trixie said, a smirk as large as her ego plastered on her face. "Oh and just to let you know Applejack." She said as she levitated the sniper rifle off her back. "The name is The Great and Powerful Trixie." On the word Trixie, she shot Pinkie Pie through the heart.


	5. Chapter Four: Lies are Hard to Forgive

Scootaloo couldn't take it anymore and sobs of absolute misery began to run down her neck. You can imagine how those made me feel, my childhood hero braking down into tears in my hooves. I could feel my heart starting to swell up in my chest and the pain of watching her entering my eyes. I started to cry as well. Now I am not a wimpy stallion, I have cried on occasion, but only in times of pure grief. For instance my best friend, a nice mare with a better sense for hidden treasure on an excavation site than I. (I'm not boasting but that means she was _**very **_good at what she did.) She died in an accident involving a new excavation site, a ditch, and a drunkard in the driving seat. Many tears were shed that day.

"Please ma'am, tell me what happened next." I whispered in her ear, trying to be professional and calm.

"All, (gasp) all right…" Scootaloo reached up to rub away the tears that were openly streaming down her face. "A- as I was saying (sniff) Pinkie got shot and Trixie turned to Applejack and said…"

"Well Applejack now that that's done will you be so kind as to tell me where in Canterlot the rebellion is hiding?"

"Now you just hold on one bloomin' minute there Trixie." Applejack answered, surprise and betrayal entering her eyes. Being the element of honesty she wasn't used to lies, or liars. "You said that if I got you Pinkie Pie than you would tell me where y'all have been keepin' Granny Smith!"

"Please Applejack, The Great and Powerful Trixie always keeps her word. I just want a little information that's all." Scootaloo could see the look of disgust that had spread over Applejacks face. "You have two choices here, apple bucker. You either tell me where the rebellion is _or y_ou will never know what has happened to dear old granny. Her life is in your… powerful, hooves."

"So what your tellin' me is that, ah kill my sister and brother, or I kill me granny?" Tears started to freely flow as her mind connected the dots. "If ah speak or ah don't speak, ah still kill somepony."

"Yes, what a shame. So who will it be? The mare that raised you? Or the siblings that you grew up with, it must be so hard for you." Mocking compassion layered her words as they were spoken. "I'm _so sorry_ that you have to make this choice."

"No you an't, you bucking imperialist!" Applejack screamed, giving into the rage that had been building up in her.

"Now Apple, yelling won't get us anywhere. And you'd better make your mind up soon or else granny might just meet a, well, not so untimely death."

"Stop this Trixie."

"What? I'm merely stating fact. Besides, the clock is ticking."

Scootaloo sat there, behind her tree, watching as Trixie's cruel word dug them selves deeper and deeper into Applejack mind causing more indecision than one would have thought possible. Anger, hatred, misery and pain are all things that crossed Applejacks face as Trixie continued talking.

"You know what? If you tell me where their hiding in Canterlot, I'll just punish them and incarcerate them. You won't have one pony's blood on your hooves." Applejack had been grasping at straws, trying to find a way to keep her family alive in her desperation. And Trixie had just given her the smallest straw avalible.

"So what you're sayin' is that if ah tell you, you won't kill any of my family?" A look desperate pleading crossing her face.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie promises that they will merely be imprisoned and punished for their crimes. Now, where are they?" Trixie had Applejack in the sole of her hoof, and she knew it.

"There are a set of tunnels under the Canterlot castle, Twi was trapped down there by the changeling queen and she thought that it would be the perfect place for the rebels to stay since no pony knew 'bout them."

"Clever, thank you traitor. Looks like you just gave us what we were looking for. You know what the punishment for a traitor is right?" The look of fear and horror crossed Applejacks face as Trixie added the last word in her painful and cliché speech. "Death." With a flourish Trixie brought the sniper rife off her back with her blue magical aura and smashed the butt of the rifle directly into Applejack's head. "Now Applejack, don't think I went against my word." Trixie knelt down beside the writhing form on the ground. "your granny… you'll see her very soon." Applejack froze on the ground, her eyes locked on the monster before her.

"You killed Granny Smith?" Her words held an icy texture that made Trixie slightly uneasy. But she soon got over it.

"Yes, your point?" Trixie said, her cockiness back to its normal, irritating self.

"Well now ah might just have to give you some visitin' hours with her." Applejack slowly stood, the left side of her head bleeding due to the impact with Trixie's gun butt. Trixie was taken aback. She had known that Applejack was strong, but that blow should have killed her!

"What was it that Pinkie used to say… A hop, skip, and jump?"

"What are babbling about now?"

"A hop." Applejack leapt at Trixie. "A skip." Applejack threw her front right leg into Trixie's abdomen. "And Jump." Applejack twisted in mid air and bucked Trixie in the side.

In the hopes of blocking the coming on slot of attacks, Trixie had created a small magical shield to surround her self, Trixie is a very talented mare in the art of magic and she had worked incredibly hard to train herself after the frustrating and humiliating encounter with Twilight Sparkle. It had worked, she was now very powerful, not Twilight, but still powerful.

Trixie had been able to block the blow to her abdomen , but the bucking was far too much for her skill to handle. Her shield broke and the force from the blow had sent her sprawling. Applejack walked over to the fallen officer, looking down at the broken form before her, she couldn't bring herself to finish the act, she couldn't kill somepony. Even if that pony had killed countless times, including the broken form of a once pink energetic pony that still lay to her side.

"No… Trixie didn't kill ya Pinkie. Ah killed ya, ah killed you for somepony that was already dead!" Quiet sobs started to fill the air as Applejack remembered times they had spent. As fillies they had met up on the streets of Ponyville, both having lost ponies that were dear to them. Each of them were able to find companionship through the other. They grew up together and over time Applejack found Pinkie Pie the job at Sugar Cube Corner. In exchange Pinkie had given Applejack a hat, a hat that she had worn from that day on. They were both present at the death of their dear friend Rarity, and they had worked together in raising her son. Or they did, until he had moved away at the young age thirteen to go to Canterlot. They had shared times, both good and bad, but now she was dead, dead by Applejack's own hooves and she couldn't bare it. Looking down at that cold, now empty body, the memories of time gone by was just too painful for her to bear. She looked away. Her tears were now reaching their highest point and she collapsed as her tears became a racking sob, but slowly the sobs decreased until there was just a hollow breathing, and even that started to slow.

Applejack was dying.

The extra push from the adrenalin having ended, she could no longer fight off the pain from Trixie's blow. Scootaloo ran out into the clearing, her tiny wings pushing her faster that any normal earth pony could run. She had already seen one of the ponies that had been dear to her die and she couldn't stand another.

"Applejack… You can't die on me, not now, not after Pinkie left me… I can't survive like this, the pain is… Applejack!"

"Howdy squirt." The words were so soft Scootaloo could tell she didn't have much longer.

"O-only Rainbow Dash can call me that..."

"Huh, Rainbow… Say howdy to her for me will ya?"

"Okay…" Was Scootaloo's quite response. She just couldn't remind Applejack of Rainbow's death, not now.

"Good-By ya little rascal." Applejack's eyes rolled back into her head and she was lost to the winds. Not only Pinkie Pie now… but Applejack as well.

Scootaloo rose to her feet, and with fury in her eyes turned to the place Trixie had fallen. Only to find that she wasn't there.

It was then that something snapped in her, and she swore on the deaths of both Pinkie Pie and Applejack.

That she would kill, The Great and Powerful Trixie.


	6. Chapter Five: That Annoying Head Voice

**The Pony Of Discovery**

**Ch. 4**

There was a passion in the eyes of the mare in front of me. Not the passion of love or that of desire, no this is a passion of hatred. Of a burning blood lust. I looked at Scootaloo who was just moments ago weeping in my arms, to now see an anger that scared me.

"Scootaloo?" I asked, inching away from the _thing_ next to me. Praying to whoever might be out there that I would live to see another day. But as soon as the look of rage had come it was gone, and a look of joy came across her face.

"Hey! Twilight! Do you want to go see Fluttershy!?" Scootaloo looked up into my now thoroughly confused and still slightly frightened face from where she had been laying.

"Uh…"

"Oh, you don't want to go…" Crestfallen Scootaloo started walking back toward the Everfree Forest. Her heads down and her tail dragging on the ground. Feeling like a terrible individual for no reason at all. I called out to her.

"Y-you know Scootaloo, I actually want to (gulp) go to see Fluttershy." The end of my sentence drew off into a pleading high pitch tone.

The hair on Scootaloo's head bounced in happiness as what I said sunk in. (Yes, bounced, I had heard stories of this happening to a certain pink pony on occasion, but I thought they were just a few isolated incidences…) "You mean it Twilight!?" She shouted. "You really want to go see her?!"

"Yeah…" _This won't end well. _I thought. _Let's go follow an insane mare into the Everfree Forest. What could go wrong?_

_Well, so what if things go wrong? It's our best chance to find one of the elements alive! _I was taken aback at the sudden voice in my head. Sure I had heard of people who had a sub-conscience, but I never really understood that. I mean if there are people talking in your head, doesn't that mean you're crazy? … Oh…

_No, you are not crazy. _(Can head people sound like they think you're an idiot?) _Now do what I say, and stop thinking like an idiot. _(There's one question answered.)

_So head person… Why are you in my head? _A logical question to ask when you're talking to a person in your head I figured.

_Do you even know the meaning of logic?_

_Hey! I was talking to myself! Don't interrupt!_

_Wow, out of hundreds of ponies who I could have been in there head I had to get a complete idiot._

_Don't be mean! _Said another voice in my head.

_Pinkie Pie? I thought you died! _Said the invader to my head.

_I'm not Pinkie Pie. _Said the new comer. _I'm Apt's head voice._

_I don't have a head voice. _I announced, frustrated that my head was arguing with itself.

_Apt, I'm hurt, I've been your head voice for years._

_Yeah? Well he doesn't like you any more so just go away!_ The mean voice yelled at my head voice that sounds like Pinkie Pie.

_Well if that's how you feel… My _head voice said, slowly going away in tears. (Not sure how but my head voice was crying without a body but the inside of my head was wet with the tears.)

_Well now that that's settled, we can get to work. _

_You just sent my head voice away in tears!_ I yelled.

_So? We needed her out of the way. Besides now we can start to remove the magic suppressors on your horn. _

_Nope, you're mean I won't talk to you. _

_Oh, shut up you Idiot... _

_And besides I'm really good with magic. _(which was true, I was actually one of the strongest unicorns I have ever met, expect for Trixie. But she is the strongest ever!)

_I will say this again, you're an idiot, you have magic suppressors on your horn. You are the son of an Element of Harmony, don't you think that that would make you a bit more powerful with magic than others? Even "The Great and Powerful Trixie". _The voice spat Trixie's title with so much sarcasm it was impossible to miss.

_What's your name? _Achievement throw off the voice in your head accomplished.

_What?_

_What is your name? I need to be able to call you something other than the 'mean voice in my head'._

_You don't need my name._

_Yes I do! _You would think my head might be more compliant to my will.

_You don't need my name. _The voice repeated.

_YES, I, DO!_

_Fine! _ _You can call me Flicker! Happy?!_

_That's not your name. _I accused trying to find out what her real name was.

_My name is Half-light Flicker. Yeah, my parents hated me when they gave me that name… _She thought to me with actual pain in her voice, thoughts, brain voice, you know what I mean!

I kind of felt sorry for little Half-light. I mean, geez, ouch… Half-light Flicker… Were her parents like 'Hey, you're not bright enough to be a candle, let's call you Flicker!' And I thought my parents were harsh.

_Look, _I thought to her. _I'm sorry I asked._

_You should be. _Yep all sympathy gone now. _Now back to your horn. Try focusing on magic itself, how is it made?_

_Magic is made through an emotional and intellectual combination that can only be mastered by unicorns. _I thought to her, quoting from my old magic book from school.

_Good job! _Sarcasm layering her words as they were thought. _Now I will fill you with an emotion as powerful as if you didn't have something that suppressed your emotion. _I waited for what seemed like an eternity for something to happen, I was not disappointed. A wave of emotion raced through me, making my insides burn. My heart race quickened and my breath came out in bursts as my mind started to fog, I couldn't think! All I could do was stand there as energy ran into me making me want to scream and hit something. Memories started coming into my mind as this thing took over me.

I saw myself being hit by Trixie while I was in the Canterlot School for Archeology.

I saw the drunk, Speed Wheel as he hit a ditch and crashed a jeep. A jeep that had my friend, Archeological Dig in it. I never saw the face of my fillyfriend again after that.

I saw Emperor Blue Blood himself, as he came down to present me with my diploma for graduating from the aforementioned Canterlot School for Archeology, only for him to burn it in a flame he sent from his horn. He had said it was an accident, but I didn't believe it.

Not able to contain myself I ran to the nearest tree and bucked it as hard as I could. "DAMN IT!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, startling Scootaloo who was trotting in front of me, supposedly leading me to Fluttershy. "Sorry." I mumbled, frustrated that couldn't handle the emotion.

_All right, quit it. Turn down the emotion. _

_ No._

_ Do it now._

_ No. The emotion that you're feeling right now is rage, now harness the emotion and use your intelligence to control it._ I tried, honest I did, but the emotion had clouded my mind so much I could barely think let alone use magic.

"I can't." I yelled, hopping she would get the jest and stop the emotion flood that was drowning me.

_Do it!_

_I CAN'T!_

_Fine, suit yourself._ She let the rage fall. I thought she let it go too easily, but I wasn't going to complain.

_That's better. _I thought to her._ Now don't do that again._

I got no response from the voice that had invaded my head, but I did get one from the mare in front of me.

"Take cover!"

I yelped at her scream dashing behind the cover of a tree.

"Were are they!?" I shouted. "What weapons!? Is Trixie there?!"

"Timberwolves!" Was the only response I got from her, but it answered all the questions that I needed answered.

Timberwolves are a breed of tree canines that are especially territorial, and will rip you apart if you're close to their nest. It didn't help that we were right in the middle of mating season.

I glanced at Scootaloo who had taken shelter behind the tree next to mine. She looked over at me and I could see as all sanity left her features.

"Oh my God." I gasped as what she was about to do and shook my head furiously. The smile that the orange mare next to me wore just got larger as she saw my frantic look, Scootaloo winked at me with an eye that held an abnormally small pupil. And leapt out of her hiding place.

I risked a look out from behind my tree as she ran toward a pack of Timberwolves, this wasn't a small pack not even an average sized group but a pack of well over forty Timberwolves.

And Scootaloo thought she could take them out all on her own. She really was insane.

_Flicker? _No response. _Flicker please, I need your help._

_Is that so? I thought you didn't want me to help ever again?_

_Flicker. I don't have time for this, Scootaloo is about to die because she thinks she can take on a whole pack of Timberwolves._

_And this is my problem, why? She ran out on her own, why should I do anything?_

_Because I can't!_

_So? That looks like your problem, not mine._

_Buck you! _I thought to her as I lit up my horn.

I came out of my hiding place to find that Scootaloo had already killed most of the Timberwolves, don't ask me how but that little mare had almost won a one on forty battle against the hardest things to kill in the whole wide world of Equestria. But now She ws starting to tire, I could see it in her eyes and the sluggish way she moved. If I didn't jump in when I did she would have died.

I let out a small blast from my horn at the wolf closest to Scootaloo. Nothing happened.

Well, I take that back something did happen. Because now I had a huge pack Timberwolves after me. All I can say I did after that was run, when there are twelve Timberwolves after you, you run like Your life depends on it, because it does.

_Flicker! I need some really strong magic right now!_

_What's the magic word?_

_Buck you!_

_Nope._

_Flicker, we don't have time for this!_

_That's not the word either._

"GAH!" I screamed. The added frustration of Flicker not complying and the fear of being eaten alive made me a bit frustrated.

_Please, please. Just help me!_

_There, was that so hard? _I felt my horn start to glow and an emotion I had not felt before welled up in my chest. It felt like wanting without the selfishness, sadness without the pain, it felt like protectiveness, fear, courage, joy. But the emotions were not what this one was. This was an emotion that was alien to me.

_This is love. _I was taken aback by what Flicker had just said.

_This isn't love. I loved, my care givers, Applejack and Pinkie Pie, I loved my dog growing up, I loved… I loved_ _Archeological Dig. _

_Yes that was love but this is the love of a parent, of a mentor, of an older sibling. Now use it before you kill us both you idiot. _

And so I did, I harnessed the emotion that was being fed to me and sent a wave of energy out of myself, it started at my horn and spread out as a sonic boom might sending all the Timberwolves that had been chasing me flying.

_Thank you flicker._

I looked up at the figure that was slowly approaching me. This mare had hair that was cut into a sharp point similar to that of Rainbow Dash's hair. Only hers was pink. Her body was covered by a dark gray cloak with a brooch shaped into the head of a roaring dragon. On her back was a fire lance, a weapon made by zebras that had an enchanted tip so as to pierce any armor and leave a piece of the metal inside of you that would burn itself deeper inside of you until you die. A vicious weapon.

Scootaloo came up and stood next to the mare as if they had known each other for a long time, which they had.

"Twilight Sparkle" Scootaloo said looking at me with one of those insane smiles. This is the new Fluttershy.

Author's Note: I apologize for the long wait you guys, but there has been quite a lot of family drama and school has been a hassle, but now I think I have time to start typing again. See you all next chapter!


	7. Chapter Six: Fluttershy's Little Pet

"New Fluttershy?" I asked trotting behind the cloaked figure.

"Yes, The new Fluttershy." Fluttershy said, calmly glancing back at the dark brown pack of Timberwolves that were escorting us. Because, you know, there's nothing like a bunch of vicious animals walking behind you make you comfortable.

"The old Fluttershy was a weakling, she was literally afraid of her own shadow, she even let little creatures be around her, rodents like squirrels, mice and rabbits." She smirked. "Things that wouldn't be of any use. But now, now the new Fluttershy only keeps things of power, the new Fluttershy will kill when provoked, the new Fluttershy doesn't hide from controversy, the new Fluttershy-"

"Only speaks in third person?" I asked under my breath, chuckled at my little joke quiet enough that I thought no one could overhear, I was wrong.

"Is there something you want to tell me, Apt?" Fluttershy glanced back at me over her shoulder.

"No ma'am." I said slightly jittery, but quick to respond incase 'The new Fluttershy' would set our little escorts on me. Nodding her head in a way I hopped meant that she wasn't going to end my life, she continued.

"Anyway, out with the Old and in with the New, isn't that what they say?"

"Yes in deedy!" Came Scootaloo's answer. I looked at her, she was still Scootaloo, the same purple hair I remembered, the same beautifully toned body, yet all I could see in her place was Pinkie Pie, one of the mares that had raised me. Scootaloo harbored the soul of Pinkie in the way she talked and acted. It was as if both my idle and my caregiver were standing in front of me. Tearing my eyes off of Scootaloo I asked.

"Fluttershy? Um, did anyone else survive?" It had been a while since I had seen any one I knew from back then, and if Scootaloo and Fluttershy were still alive, could that mean that more had lived?

"No." It was a simple word, just one syllable, two letters, but to me it was much more than its physical appearance. It was as if that one word had power over my heart, I could almost hear it crack as the pain finally hit me. Forgive me for being naïve, but I had hoped that at least a few more had survived. Fluttershy continued, unaware of my pain. "As far as I known only Scootaloo, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and myself survived. Pinkie took Scootaloo into the woods, Rainbow went to Cloudsdale, Applejack was working in Canterlot, and I lived far enough away for the blast zone to survive."

I was brought out of my emotional turmoil by a small squeak of fear. I had been so involved in my pain that I hadn't realized that we had come up to Fluttershy's cottage, or more specifically a large wooden cage that set next to her cottage. The squeak had come from a small squirrel that had seen us coming near. At the time I hadn't understood the terror that came off the little guy, but, I found out when Fluttershy started her song.

"Hush now, quite now don't even make a sound.

Hush now, quite now It'll all be over soon.

Drifting, down you go, it's feeding time again.

I just hope you realize… What you getting fed to."

I looked around, just now realizing that I couldn't hear a bird chirp. Or see the normal running of animals around my feet that usually accompanied you as you walked through the Everfree Forest. The only rodent I could see was dangling from Fluttershy mouth, squirming in terror.

"Oh, stop it. You knew this day was coming so stop complaining." The squirrel looked up at her, it's eyes large and swimming with tears. Fluttershy just glanced down at it with a heartless toothy smile. (It was kind of disturbing actually…)

"Fluttershy? Um.. What exactly are you doing?"

"Well you see Apt, these wolves behind me agreed to… work for me, if I gave them a place to stay and a food source." I looked at the squirrel hanging between her teeth, horror at what I was hearing entering my eyes. "Of course I don't have enough for the whole pack, but a squirrel is good for a pup or two." At the mention of its end, the squirrel started to tear up. Fat tears rolling down its face. I lowered my head, incapable of watching the inequine way this animal was being treated.

"What happened to you Fluttershy? " It was barely a whisper, but as demonstrated earlier, she can hear extraordinarily well.

"Is something wrong Apt? Do you want me to put the poor wittle guy down?" I couldn't respond. Fluttershy had been my foalsitter when I was younger and she had been the nicest, kindest pony in Equestria. With her soft voice and gentle nature. Now everything I liked about her was gone. Trying not to think about the soon to be lifeless squirrel still weeping in Fluttershy's mouth I asked.

"So, um… That's a nice, uhh… fire lance." I racked my brain for what exactly it was, we had gone over zebra weaponry in class. "It's a year 8400, otherwise known as Pain Bringer isn't it? You can tell by the engravings on the right side of the blade tip. But… The Pain Bringer doesn't have a reddish glow emanating from the blade, that's only common for the Burial Staff which was a year 8900. Tell me, how did you get it? I've been looking for a fire lance in every dig site I've been to. Fluttershy's grin opened wider.

"Oh, Apt. Don't you remember a zebra who used to live in the Everfree Forest? She was nice enough to, give it to me."

No, not Zecora too. Please Celestia not her too. Came a quiet voice from the inside of my mind. I could understand Flickers sorrow. I had known Zecora too in a time gone by. And even if she were a Zebra. Which as Emperor Blue Blood said, were an inferior species. She was still a friend, and these days I don't have many of them to spare.

"Apt, let me tell you a story." Fluttershy insisted, staring into the sky as a memory came to her. " It's about a certain Zebra who… Didn't like how I ran Everfree." I looked at Fluttershy, noticing that she kept stopping in her speech, as if she wanted to think carefully before telling me anything… "It happened about a year ago…"

Fluttershy grinned as she and Angel slowly walked towards Zecora's hut. It was an eerie night, silent, with not even the occasional hoot of an owl or a mouse squeak to lighten the mood. Fluttershy had planned this night for weeks now, just waiting for the perfect time to get rid of the only one who might hinder her plan.

"Zecora?" Fluttershy asked quietly, the picture of innocence. "Could you maybe come out side? I need to, um… I have to ask you…" Fluttershy sent a smug little smile over at Angel as her plan started to come together. She hid behind her hair as she had back in the days before the bombing. It was a simple matter to wait until her hair had grown back to its original length.

_I'll have to cut it down again when this is over. She thought to herself in disgust. I really don't know why she liked her hair like this. Long hair is a sign of weakness._

"Zecora? Where are you?"

_Bah ,she's probably not even here. All that work and planning, for what?! For someone who's not even here!_

_Calm down or you'll ruin the plan._ Fluttershy froze. It had been awhile since she had heard the voice in her head speak, not since she had first decided to become stronger. In fact it had been that voice that had given her the courage to do so.

_Shut up, Pinkie Pie._ Fluttershy snapped_. I'd like you to warn me before you pop up and start talking. _

_ Oh, like what? Would you want me to tap you on the shoulder? Get over it. And I'm not Pinkie Pie, I'm your head voice. As I've told you before._

_Don't get a big head, you're not all that important to me. Who's head are you in? Mine._

_Fine, do what you want. I just don't want you to give us away, I'm in your head remember? If you die I do too._

"Zecora!" Fluttershy screamed, just to feel Pinkie squirm. Angel looked up at his mistress in surprise that she would let her feelings endanger the plan. "WHAT!" Fluttershy yelled down at him. Irritated that he would question her. "It's because Zecora's not here. That's why I'm like this." Fluttershy rubbed her nose, a nerves tick that she had developed, she tried to convince herself that she wasn't a bad pony, it was just the circumstance.

"Angel, go into the hut and grab anything of value. I will NOT let this be a total failure." The bunny glanced up at her, saluted and hopped off towards the tree, light indentations being left on the dirt wherever he landed.

"Wait. I thought that you didn't keep small animals" I asked confused as to what I was hearing. Fluttershy glared at me for interrupting her story, but explained.

"Angel is a special case; he had always been there when I needed help. Not that I need help anymore, but he can still be of use to me." Fluttershy glanced over at her cottage a distance away, or more specifically the white figure in the window. "When Pink- (Cough) when I first realized that if I was to survive I would have to get rid of weakness. The birds were the first to go. And when the time came for the rabbits to go I… well, I couldn't be bothered to do it myself so I sent my hippogriff in for me. When I returned from my… outing… I discovered that only one of the rodents was left. Angel was the only one able to fight off Misfit for any decent amount of time so I gave him a chance to prove himself.

He could A) fight off the pack leader of the timberwolves. Or B) get eaten by the pack leader of the timberwolves. I believe that you can figure out which of the options he took." Fluttershy stopped walking. I looked down, we had stopped at the edge of a dirt pit, one that held a litter of newborn timberwolves. The squirrel who was hanging out of Fluttershy's mouth screeched as it was thrown into the pit. Fluttershy's face lit up in pure joy as she watched the squirrels body arc through the air. I closed my eyes and tried to block out the sound of its screams as it was torn limb from limb.

"Oh, look at them. There so cute when they play with their food." I screwed my face up in disgust at what I was hearing.

Anger, so this is what it feels like when it's not forced upon me.

_Apt, please. Put a stop to this…. This isn't right._

_ What can I do Flicker? I can't do anything!_

_ I taught you how to use magic. NOW USE IT!_

_ I… I can't. _ _Don't give me that! _

_You have incredible power in you, your just too much of a foal to use it! _ I shrank back as Flickers words drove into me. I wanted to argue with her, but what could I say? She was right.

_I can't do anything..._

_Can't, or won't?_

I just shut my eyes tighter. Not answering.

"Now that that's over. Can I get back to my story?" Fluttershy spat.

"Oh, yeah, alright…" I mumbled still hurting from Flicker's words.

"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted." Another dirty look my way. "Angel ran into the tree that Zecora been made into a simple hut.

"I don't understand why she's not here." Fluttershy hissed, glancing around as if Zecora would jump out and say 'Here I am!'

_You scared her off._ Came Pinkie's response.

_It's not my fault! _

_ Sure it is._

"Angel, are you done in there yet?!" Fluttershy yelled, trying to stop Pinkie's words. "Angel!" Nothing came hopping out of the tree. "Insubordinate little…" Fluttershy rant was cut short due to her sudden lack of ability to breath. On reflex Fluttershy swept her wings underneath her attacker, and used them to flip the pony from behind her onto its back in front of her. Fluttershy looked down at the rope that her attacker had used to try and strangle her. It was a simple enough rope, just a few vines wound together into a sturdy thickness. Not something worthy of killing her.

The pony that had used the rope was a bit more interesting, he had a light green mane as well as soil colored coat. His cutie mark was absent, thanks to a burn on both his right and left flank. His cutie mark had been branded off Fluttershy realized suddenly; looking down at this pony with new interest. She kicked him in stomach with her right forehoof. The colt spasmed at the unexpected pain, and shot up with a howl.

"So, Sir Lintsalot." Fluttershy said using the name she gave him based off Pinkie's imaginary friend.

"How'd you get out of the basement? Didn't I tell you not to leave the basement? Why aren't you in the basement?" No response came from the form still writhing on the ground. Another kick. The colt gasped as the air forcefully exited his lungs. "Please answer me Sir Lintsalot."

"I got help form a Zebra." He gasped. His voice, yet raspy from the pain, still held his thick trottingham accent. "She came one night and took me out that tomb you call a basement. I've been gone for weeks." He grinned through the pain. "Or haven't you realized?" Fluttershy kicked him in the stomach again.

"You haven't felt real pain yet, but you will." Fluttershy was enraged that this colt would make fun of her. She had thought that she had put him through enough pain to earn some respect. Fluttershy vowed to destroy this rebellious streak that had grown in him. But first she would kill that zebra.

That Zebra! Fluttershy heard the sound of rustling of leaves behind her.

_A diversion!_ Pinkie snapped.

Fluttershy whipped around in time to see a glowing blade whip toward her head. With a flap of her wings she flew away from the spear tip.

"Bloody Berk!" Yelled the colt on the ground, slowly crawling to his hooves. "She was right in front of you! How'd you miss her!" Zecora just sent a look at him as she dived at Fluttershy, thrusting forwards with her fire lance. Fluttershy flew back again. "Again Zecora?!" How do you keep missing!?" Zecora ignored him, focusing on the fight in front of her. She swung the lance, this time in an upward arc with the tip barreling down on her target. Fluttershy opened her wings again as if to spring back once more so Zecora jumped forward hoping that she could hit her when Fluttershy jumps back. She would have too. But Fluttershy didn't jump back, she jumped forward, sending her left hind leg into Zecora's midsection. Causing Zecora to fly back into a tree, dazing her. Fluttershy advanced on her.

_Now finish her. End her right here and now!_

_Ahhh, Pinkie what would be the fun in that? I have her where I want her, now why can't I play with her?_ Fluttershy pulled out a knife from her tail, twirling it in her wingtip as she firmly planted one hoof in front of the other, each hoof fall bringing up a cloud of dust. She brought the knife up to Zecora's face sliding the blade around and cutting patterns into her flesh. A spiral here, a square there, all the while Zecora winced as her face was slowly turned into a bloody mess.

Fluttershy screamed as something pierced her hind leg. She whirled, furious that something would dare harm her. Fluttershy's eyes fell upon Sir Lintsalot. He had picked up Zecora's fallen fire staff and plunged the tip into her back right leg. He looked up in fear when he saw Fluttershy round on him.

"I… I…" Lintsalot dropped the spear and galloped off as fast as he could, leaving Zecora to Fluttershy will.

"Never mind." Fluttershy growled, promising to send her timberwolves to hunt him down later. Fluttershy turned back to Zecora, fury in her eyes. Needing to release all her pent up anger, Fluttershy gripped the knife harder and plunged it into the base of her neck.

Shock filled Zecora's eyes as she looked at the blood trickling down her neck, and back up into the eyes of somepony who was once her friend, someone who she had once made a cure for poison joke. A single tear ran down her face as she said her last words.

"Good-bye, Fluttershy." Even in death her rhymes wouldn't leave her. Zecora coughed, spluttered and went limp, falling further into the knife. Fluttershy looked up into the star filled sky as she thought about what just happened.

_Hmmm… I don't feel anything. Why don't I feel anything?_

I was shaking by the end of the story, and promised never to get on Fluttershy's bad side.

"Scootaloo, could you take Apt into the cottage? I'm sure that he's tired from the long walk he had from here to Ponyville, I'll join you shortly. I need to go check something first." Scootaloo nodded and started walking me over to the cottage, going on about something to do with pancakes. But I wasn't really paying attention, I just couldn't take my mind off the fact that Zecora was dead. My hooves felt heavy as we walked inside. Scootaloo told me to go up stairs and that there was a guest bedroom in the first door on the left.

"Remember Twilight. Discord Isn't the only corruption that can take over people."

I looked up at Scootaloo in confusion.

"What do you mean?" The only response I got off her Was a crooked grin as she turned and walked away.

_Everyone is dying, I just, I knew all these ponies. They were my friends _

_I know Flicker. I can feel how deeply you loved all of them, each time we learn one of them died I can feel the pain as deeply as you do. I'm sorry._

There was a silence for a while where we both sat there thinking.

_Thanks Apt._

_ No Problem Flicker._

Fluttershy went around to the back of her cottage, making sure no one was following her, especially not Apt.

_Wouldn't that be just my luck. If he saw what was down here._

_ You can't keep Apt in the dark forever, he'll find out. _Pinkie stated plainly.

_Not unless you tell him! _

_ And I would do that… how?_

_ Never mind._

Fluttershy descended into her storm cellar. She turned her head up in disgust at the smell of blood and urine that always filled this place. Remembering to close the door securely, Fluttershy brought out her flashlight and looked around, checking to see if everything was where it was supposed to be. Not that there was much to see in the small cellar, besides the walls the floor, a bag of dead rats and a barrel of water. Her gaze fell upon a huddled figure in the corner.

"Get that torch out of my face." The figure in the corner said. His thick trottingham accent making Fluttershy irritated.

"Oh, don't you worry, after tonight you won't be able to see the light anyway…" Fluttershy grinned in preparation as to the fun she was about to have. No one could hear the screams that came from cellar that night.

**A/N**

**About the wait you guys, I apologize. But I'm starting to lose steam, this story only has a few followers and I'm only posting for you. To tell you the truth, I need encouragement, if you could comment where you think this story should go I'll try to fit it in. I have a general idea where this is headed but if I know anything about This fandom it's that you have incredible creativity, and an idea might have come to you that hasn't come to me.**

**Yours truly, Upload**


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